mes-4 Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase mes-4 [Caenorhabditis elegans] - Gene

Summary

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Official Symbol: mes-4
Official Full Name: Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase mes-4
Primary source: WormBase:WBGene00003222
Locus tag: CELE_Y2H9A.1
See related: AllianceGenome:WB:WBGene00003222
Gene type: protein coding
RefSeq status: REVIEWED
Organism: Caenorhabditis elegans (strain: Bristol N2)
Lineage: Eukaryota; Metazoa; Ecdysozoa; Nematoda; Chromadorea; Rhabditida; Rhabditina; Rhabditomorpha; Rhabditoidea; Rhabditidae; Peloderinae; Caenorhabditis
Summary: Enables histone H3K36 methyltransferase activity. Involved in germ-line sex determination and heterochromatin formation. Acts upstream of or within with a positive effect on dosage compensation by hypoactivation of X chromosome. Located in chromosome. Is expressed in Z2; Z3; germ line; and hypodermis. [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Jul 2025]
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Genomic context

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See mes-4 in Genome Data Viewer

Location:: chromosome: V

Exon count:: 10

Sequence:: Chromosome: V; NC_003283.11 (13433050..13437545, complement)

Chromosome V - NC_003283.11 Genomic Context describing neighboring genes

Genomic regions, transcripts, and products

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Go to reference sequence details

Genomic Sequence:: NC_003283.11

Go to nucleotide: Graphics FASTA GenBank

Bibliography

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GeneRIFs: Gene References Into Functions

What's a GeneRIF?

the roles in epigenetic inheritance of MES-4 and MET-1
Title: Distinct Roles of Two Histone Methyltransferases in Transmitting H3K36me3-Based Epigenetic Memory Across Generations in Caenorhabditis elegans.
MES-4 transmits the memory of gene expression in the parental germ line to offspring.
Title: The histone H3K36 methyltransferase MES-4 acts epigenetically to transmit the memory of germline gene expression to progeny.
We propose that MES-4 and MET-1 antagonize heterochromatin assembly at PCs of unsynapsed chromosomes by promoting a transcriptionally permissive chromatin environment that is required for meiotic checkpoint function
Title: Histone methyltransferases MES-4 and MET-1 promote meiotic checkpoint activation in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Studies indicate that cellular identity in is the sum of interplay between PcG and Trx-G group proteins, as well as histone modifying enzymes MES-4 and SPR-5.
Title: Epigenetics in C. elegans: facts and challenges.
MES-4 has histone H3 methyltransferase (HMT) activity in vitro, and is required for histone H3K36 dimethylation in mitotic and early meiotic germline nuclei and early embryos.
Title: MES-4: an autosome-associated histone methyltransferase that participates in silencing the X chromosomes in the C. elegans germ line.

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Interactions

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Products	Interactant	Other Gene	Complex	Source	Pubs	Description

General gene information

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Markers

Y2H9A.1 (e-PCR)
- UniSTS:317298

Homology

Orthologs from OrthoDB

Gene Ontology Provided by WormBase

Function	Evidence Code	Pubs
enables catalytic activity	IEA Inferred from Electronic Annotation more info
enables histone H3K36 dimethyltransferase activity	IEA Inferred from Electronic Annotation more info
enables histone H3K36 methyltransferase activity	IBA Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor more info
enables histone H3K36 methyltransferase activity	IDA Inferred from Direct Assay more info	PubMed
enables histone H3K36 methyltransferase activity	IMP Inferred from Mutant Phenotype more info	PubMed
enables histone methyltransferase activity	NAS Non-traceable Author Statement more info	PubMed

Process	Evidence Code	Pubs
involved_in chromatin remodeling	IEA Inferred from Electronic Annotation more info
acts_upstream_of_or_within_positive_effect dosage compensation by hypoactivation of X chromosome	IMP Inferred from Mutant Phenotype more info	PubMed
involved_in epigenetic regulation of gene expression	IMP Inferred from Mutant Phenotype more info	PubMed
involved_in germ-line sex determination	IMP Inferred from Mutant Phenotype more info	PubMed
involved_in heterochromatin formation	IMP Inferred from Mutant Phenotype more info	PubMed
involved_in regulation of DNA-templated transcription	IBA Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor more info

Component	Evidence Code	Pubs
located_in X chromosome	IDA Inferred from Direct Assay more info	PubMed
located_in autosome	IDA Inferred from Direct Assay more info	PubMed
is_active_in chromatin	IBA Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor more info
located_in chromatin	IMP Inferred from Mutant Phenotype more info	PubMed
located_in chromosome	IDA Inferred from Direct Assay more info	PubMed
located_in chromosome	IEA Inferred from Electronic Annotation more info
is_active_in nuclear chromosome	IDA Inferred from Direct Assay more info	PubMed
is_active_in nucleus	IBA Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor more info
located_in nucleus	IEA Inferred from Electronic Annotation more info

General protein information

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Preferred Names: Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase mes-4

NP_506333.1

Confirmed by transcript evidence

NCBI Reference Sequences (RefSeq)

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Genome Annotation

The following sections contain reference sequences that belong to a specific genome build. Explain

Reference assembly

Genomic

NC_003283.11 Reference assembly

Range

13433050..13437545 complement

Download

GenBank, FASTA, Sequence Viewer (Graphics)

mRNA and Protein(s)

NM_073932.7 → NP_506333.1 Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase mes-4

See identical proteins and their annotated locations for NP_506333.1

Status: REVIEWED

UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot

Q9NH52, Q9XXS4

Conserved Domains (2) summary

smart00317
Location:537 → 671

SET; SET (Su(var)3-9, Enhancer-of-zeste, Trithorax) domain

cl22851
Location:207 → 269

PHD_SF; PHD finger superfamily